“I don’t give a shit,” Holloway said.
“It’s very hot to be sitting inside a closed skimmer,” Landon said.
“So crack a window and give him a bowl of water,” Holloway said. “If he puts a foot on my property, I’m parting his hair with a shotgun.”
“You’re adding murder to your résumé, Mr. Holloway?” Landon asked.
“It’s not murder if he’s a trespasser on private property and he refuses to leave when told to,” Holloway said.
“He’s a ZaraCorp security officer, on a planet administrated by the company,” Aubrey said.
“Then he can show me his search warrant,” Holloway said. “If he doesn’t have one, he’s trespassing. And so are you and Landon, now I think about it. The only one with an actual invitation to be here is Chad.”
“So you’re going to shoot all of us, then,” Aubrey said.
“Tempting, but no,” Holloway said. “Just him. If you don’t think I won’t, by all means have him get out of the skimmer.”
Aubrey looked over to Bourne, who had stepped out of the front driver’s side of the skimmer. “I have no idea what this is about,” Bourne said.
DeLise did nothing but glare through all of this.
“Leave him your key fob,” Aubrey said, finally, to Bourne. “That way he can run the air conditioner.” Aubrey turned to Holloway. “All right? Or do you have any other unreasonable demands?”
“Is there a reason you’re here, Aubrey?” Holloway asked. He pointed at Bourne. “I know why he’s here; he wants a day at the petting zoo. What do you want?”
“Perhaps I’m curious about the creatures myself,” Aubrey said. “I might lose a fortune to them. I think I should at least get a chance to see them.”
“Sorry,” Holloway said. “They’re not here right now.”
“You didn’t keep them here?” Bourne said. “You knew we were coming.”
“I knew you were coming,” Holloway said. “I wasn’t expecting an entourage. And no, I didn’t keep them here, Chad. They’re not my pets, they’re wild animals. They come and go when they please. After the first couple of days they started going back out into the trees. I imagine they’re doing whatever it is they did before I met them. Just like I come and go when I please, doing what I did before I met them.”
“When will they be back?” Bourne asked.
“Let me reiterate the part about them being wild animals,” Holloway said. “It’s not like they leave me their day planner when they go.”
“Then maybe we can talk about something else,” Aubrey said.
“What else is there to talk about?” Holloway asked.
“Do you mind if we go inside to discuss it?” Aubrey said. “Because at this point I find it ironic that the only person sitting in air-conditioning is the guy you apparently want to kill.”
Holloway glanced at DeLise, who was still glowering. “Fine,” he said. “Come on.”
Inside the cabin, Carl greeted Bourne, whom he knew and liked, while Holloway discreetly repositioned his desktop security camera so it had a better angle on the outside world and Bourne’s skimmer, and tilted the hat so the camera could see outside.
“So this is the famous explosives-detonating dog,” Aubrey said, petting Carl.
“Alleged,” Holloway said. “Not proven.” He turned back to his guests and sat down at his desk.
“Of course,” Aubrey said.
“What do you want to talk about,” Holloway said.
Aubrey glanced over to Landon. “We have concerns about this upcoming inquiry into the sapience of these animals you’ve found,” Landon said.
“I would imagine,” Holloway said.
“We understand you’ve been called to testify at the inquiry,” Landon said.
“That’s right,” Holloway said.
“We’re wondering what you’re planning to say,” Landon said.
“I have no idea,” Holloway said. “I don’t know what the judge is going to ask me.”
“I would imagine that the judge would ask you to corroborate the report that Miss Wangai has submitted,” Landon said.
“That’s possible,” Holloway said.
“And will you?” Landon asked.
Holloway looked at the three men in his cabin. “I think we can skip the preliminaries here,” he said. “If they ask if I saw the things Isabel saw, then I’m going to say yes. Because I did. It doesn’t mean I agree with her that the fuzzys are people. If you’re thinking of trying to convince me not to agree with Isabel’s conclusions, you don’t have to worry about that. I don’t. What’s more, Isabel knows I don’t. So you don’t have to bribe me to say it.”
“That’s not good enough,” Aubrey said.
“It’s pretty damn good,” Holloway said.
“Not really,” Aubrey said. “She’s a biologist. You’re a surveyor. Her opinion counts for more than yours.”
“So what?” Holloway said. “I live with the damn things. Her opinion might be worth more than mine, but mine will be good enough to keep the judge from ordering ZaraCorp to submit an SSR right off. The worst-case scenario here is that the judge orders more study. If you play that right, that gets you two or three years right there before there’s any final decision on the fuzzys’ sapience. More than enough time to exploit that sunstone seam.”
“I understand you’re focused on the sunstone seam, Holloway,” Aubrey said. “But there’s more at stake than your half a percent. This planet is unusually heavy with metals and minerals, even beyond sunstones. It’s why there are sunstones in the first place. It’s the richest planet in ZaraCorp’s E and E territories. If we lose this planet, it puts ZaraCorp in a vulnerable position.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Holloway said. “There’s no reason I need to know any of that. It’s not my problem, outside the very limited issue of the sunstone seam.”
“I’m telling you so you understand, Holloway,” Aubrey said. “Because it could become your problem, if you want.”
Holloway looked over to Landon. “I’m guessing that’s your cue to speak.”
Landon smiled. He opened the folder he was carrying and walked the few steps to Holloway to hand him a paper document from inside it. Holloway examined the document. “It’s a map,” he said.
“Do you know what it’s a map of?” Landon asked.
“Yes,” Holloway said. “It’s a map of the northeast continent.”
“It’s a map of the one continent on Zara Twenty-three that ZaraCorp has not begun exploiting,” Landon said. “We only this last month received the go-ahead from the Colonial Authority to work the continent.”
“Okay,” Holloway said. “So?”
“So it’s yours,” Aubrey said.
“Excuse me?” Holloway said.
“Zarathustra Corporation is initiating a pilot program in which a single surveyor will be responsible for the exploration and exploitation of a continent,” Landon said. “This surveyor can handle the job however he wants, probably by operating exactly how ZaraCorp currently does in dealing with its surveyors. The difference is that the head surveyor will receive five percent of the exploitation revenues for his administration of the continent.”
“Minus operating costs and whatever percentage he allows his own contractors, of course,” Aubrey said.
“Yes,” Landon said. “So call it four-point-seven-five percent.”
Holloway grinned. “I suppose this means you’re not kicking me off the planet at the end of my contract,” he said.
“It would appear not,” Landon allowed. “If you agree.”
“And you’re keeping this from looking like a completely transparent bribe to me how?” Holloway asked.